CHICAGO-
Winter isn’t the most popular season for boating, but it is the best season for boat shows.
Among the country’s top boat shows are the New York National Boat Show, Dec. 30-Jan. 7 at the Javits Center; the Chicago Boat, RV and Outdoor Show, Jan. 17-21 at McCormick Place, and the Miami International Boat Show, Feb. 15-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
And while the cold weather keeps Midwesterners from enjoying their boats this time of year, a new study found Midwestern and Great Lakes states heavily represented in the top 10 states for boat ownership.
Discover Boating, a national consumer awareness program for the recreational boating industry, surveyed boat registrations and found that while Florida is the top boating state for the second year in a row with nearly 974,000 registered boats, followed by California, the next three were Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Those five states accounted for nearly a third of all boat registrations.
Rounding out the top 10 list of states with the most registered boats in 2005 were Texas, New York, South Carolina, Ohio and Illinois.
The data was compiled in conjunction with the National Marine Manufacturers Association 2005 U.S. Recreational Boat Registration Statistics Report.
The report also found that overall boat registrations increased 1.3 percent to 12.9 million in 2005, suggesting that boating may be increasing in popularity as a leisure activity.
